I suffer from depression, yet I’m stronger than my condition. Depression is a mental condition, It is defined as an unending sadness, depressed mood, or a loss of interest in activities that once were pleasurable, which includes problems with sleep. Since the birth of my second son, I have struggled with depression, although it began as postpartum depression. Depression is an insidious condition that infects everything that it touches. It forces the affected person to withdraw and that is depression’s greatest weapon: loneliness.
Loneliness, withdrawal and avoidance are common hallmarks that indicate there may be a problem in someone’s life. For me personally, it was easy to disappear into the woodwork because I had children and would often use them as an excuse to not do something. Afterwards, I’d be angry with myself yet, there was this constant loop of negative criticism in my brain. The little voice in my head belittled everything I did or wanted to do. I would never measure up. I’m not good enough. No one loves me. My life is a waste. My kids are better off without me. If you have ever heard these sayings in your head or said them to yourself don’t fret you’re not alone. 6.7% of adults aged 18 and older wlll experience some form of depression and 40 million people will be diagnosed with depression in the United States according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
Depression is difficult, however it can be defeated with therapy, medication, and other tools that can enhance your life. Personally for me, exercise, prayer and support from family and friends helped me to get through my diagnosis. Initially, I was diagnosed with high functioning anxiety. My anxiety pushed me to overthink which fueled my depression and the negative Nancy that lived rent-free in my head.
My therapist posed a question to me, He said, “What do you do for yourself?” After I cried for forty-five minutes to him about how I was a terrible person and a horrible mother he insisted that I was exhausted. I was tired beyond anything that I had ever reasonably known, yet, I was unable to provide an answer to his question, I no longer remembered or knew what I enjoyed doing because I had become used to doing everything that my kids and husband wanted to do. I had lost myself to the job of wife and mother.
My therapist suggested that I go for a walk each day for twenty minutes to get a breather away from my children. That daily twenty minute walk turned into a five mile walk that became my salvation. Whatever happened earlier in the day, the stress, the tantrums, whatever it was, I was able to pound it out on the pavement underneath the steps of my feet. Later, Covid-19 reared its ugly diseased head. Boom. We were instructed to shelter safely at home and the pandemic became a global concern. Different states launched varying initiatives to fight the virus. People argued over whether wearing a mask was the right thing to do. Between the political vitriol and the Covid confusion, I hunkered down at home with my family. At first, it was great then as time went on, the loneliness set in and just like that depression popped up. “Like I’m back.”
I remembered thinking I read my bible, I pray, I walk and am eating better, yet there was an uncertainty that frightened me. I was afraid of never being able to see people or go places like I used to. I’d watch people share places on social media that they had been and how they desperately wanted to get back there. Saddened, I often wondered will I ever be able to see these places or is this it? Theoretically, I knew the world would open again, however realistically it didn’t seem possible. Holidays and weekends passed by without family and friends to visit. It was difficult because I love to be surrounded by people. Although, there are times that I cherish my alone time the extended lockdown was having a toll on me, I started emotionally eating again and gained more weight while I stopped walking. I knew it was my anxiety in regards to the pandemic turning itself into depression, but instead of denying it, I announced it. “It’s back,” I said. “I’ve got to work hard or I’ll tumble right down the rabbit hole into the abyss of darkness.
If you struggled in the past or are struggling now, know that there is hope after depression. This is a difficult season indeed, however this is not the time to give up or give in. Many times the thoughts in our brains are buried deep inside of our ourselves. These beliefs are often a belie to the truth thet exists within us, yet we ignore the truth and believe the lie. I’ve learned that many times we tell ourselves falsehoods to protect ourselves from pain. It is easy to create a buffer to protect oneself from feeling whatever we don’t want to feel, however when we don’t, we set up false beliefs within ourselves.
To live at our highest and healthiest self we must identify the lies within us and replace them with the truth. Often we become enslaved to the bitter trauma that we’ve experienced and never gotten past. Today take a moment and shut the negative loop down in your brain. Life is hard, yet life is meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. Check with your local community health department for therapy and counseling options. Psychologists and licensed professional counselors are excellent options for talk therapy. They can work with you to plan a course of action to set you on a path to healing. Medication if needed can aid in your recovery. Exercise and better nutrition choices helped me to come out of the darkness. Prayer did, too. Studying the word and reconnecting with God through prayer helped me, also.
Reframing and capturing a negative thought is important. Try not to dwell on a bad thought. When we focus on the negative we are often trapped in a cycle of thought multiplication. Meaning one negative thought leads to another gloomy thought and then another one. The next thing you know you’re trapped in a vicious cycle of pessimistic thoughts. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Capture every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Take it from me, I’ve learned that when I allow Defeatist Daphne to take my negative thoughts and play them back to back and jumble them up, I’ll be plunged into sadness which can lead to depression. Yet when I replace the defeatist thoughts with the truth, hope and joy fills my being.
For those that struggle with depression, hope and joy can seem so far away. Although when we focus our thoughts we can experience the peace that we seek. God our father in heaven instructs us to focus on things above and not below. Fix your minds on him and his blessings in your life. You are stronger than depression. Stop believing the lies of the enemy. Reframe, capture and replace your thoughts from negative into positive ones. If you need talk therapy, seek it out and get help. There is hope and you are stronger than depression.